


Angels and Demons

by slingading



Series: I Heard You Liked AUs [6]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Angel Steve, Angels and Demons AU, Blood, Gen, Human Alex, Language, alex i'm sorry you have to deal with these two, demon herobrine, i have another 4k of this au sitting in a folder, not gonna lie this one ran away from me, who is so fucking done with them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-05
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2018-05-31 09:13:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6464545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slingading/pseuds/slingading
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chapter 1: Alex must have done something to anger one of the Aether Gods, because why else would these two dysfunctional lunatics decide to bother her every day? And why did they have to be anything other than good old fashioned <i>human</i>.</p><p>Chapter 2: Alex is sure that giant, soul-eating monsters come out of nowhere to ruin <i>everyone's</i> day. She's absolutely sure that it happens all the time as a completely normal phenomenon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> PAIRING - None  
> WARNING - Language, Blood  
> POV - Mostly Alex

“This is why angels are lame,” Herobrine says, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and grinning at Steve. “They're just a bunch of boring prudes who can't lighten up and have some real fun.”

Alex chooses, wisely, to stay quiet and let them hash out their own problems. She's kinda getting the impression that this isn't the first time they've gone through these motions. She also doesn't exactly find the prospect of griefing 'fun,' as Herobrine apparently does, but like hell she'll say that out loud.

“That's not even remotely true! You're just a...a lying good-for-nothing pig!”

Herobrine laughs then, and shakes his head, turning his gaze on her. “You see? He won't use foul language because he's too much of a pussy to do so.”

Steve gasps and glares at Herobrine. Alex thinks if Steve had actual wings, like angels are often depicted to have, his feathers would be super ruffled. “I happen to value the pledge I made to my Gods, and furthermore—”

“Blah blah blah, shut the fuck up. Gods you're so annoying.”

Steve fumes quietly and Alex shakes her head. While she doesn't necessarily agree with what Herobrine says, she does think that Steve's a major pushover. But Steve surprises her by speaking up.

“Yeah? Well why would she want to be with you when everyone else in your life has left you? She'll leave too and then you'll come crawling back to me like you always do.”

Alex's eyes widen and she dares to glance at Herobrine's face. His expression is haunting, and she feels a chill of fear run down her spine. She's going to be seeing him in her nightmares.

She looks back at Steve's smug smile and wonders if he knows what's about to happen. She doesn't even know them that well, but just by the way Herobrine's arm is tensed around her shoulders, she knows that Steve hit a nerve.

Herobrine growls, a purely inhuman noise, and steps away from her, towards Steve.

“You fucking bitch! I'll kill you!”

He lunges, tackling Steve and sending them both to the floor. Before she can make sense of it all, they disappear in a flash of ash and light.

The silence after their departure is deafening. Alex hardly breathes or moves a muscle, afraid that the two powerful beings will show up in her house suddenly and destroy her things. But minutes pass and she remains alone, so she allows herself the chance to breathe and stumbles over to a chair, sitting heavily in it and feeling more exhausted than ever before.

For a while she just sits with her eyes closed, her head tilted up to stare unseeing at the ceiling, hoping that she never sees them again. Eventually she's forced to get up when her neck starts to kink up, so she cleans up the small mess that came from Herobrine tackling Steve, and then decides she'd had enough action for one day.

][][][

She falls into a certain sense of security. It's been several days and neither Steve nor Herobrine have appeared to her again. She doesn't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Okay, well, it's a good thing for her, and even though she finds Herobrine to be the worst kind of person, and Steve's a complete tool who would do anything to please anyone, she finds herself missing them—anticipating their return, actually.

Because Steve's really nice, even if he tries too hard, but he makes her feel like she has a purpose in the world, and Herobrine shoots adrenaline through her veins every time he stares at her and grins. Steve promises safety and love, while Herobrine promises adventure and danger.

So of course when she least expects it, they're back.

She's just gotten back from a trip to the nearest village, which is about half a day's journey there and back, and she's dead beat tired and wants to lay down and sleep for twelve hours, but when she opens her door she nearly drops the bag in her arms in shock.

At least Steve has the decency to look guilty. To their credit the room isn't completely demolished, but most of her things are not where she left them, and that's really what ticks her off. They can have whatever weird unresolved thing they want between them, but could they leave her and her stuff out of it?

Assuming they fought when they disappeared several days ago, she can't tell who won, if one of them did. Their clothes are dirty and ruffled and torn. Shame is rolling off the angel in waves, while Herobrine is smiling smugly, so she'd guess that Herobrine must have won. Won what, who even knows.

Herobrine, despite having that victorious aura about him, appears the most beat up, which is odd. There's a bruise on his cheek and he's got a black eye, and his shirt is ripped at the side and stained red with blood. Steve's shirt is ripped a decent way down his front, but the only blood is at his collar. Perhaps his split lip had something to do with that.

“Do I get an explanation?” She doesn't really want one, but it's the first thing that popped into her mind. Steve refuses to meet her eye and Herobrine shrugs.

“I put him in his place,” the demon says simply, sparing Steve a glance as Alex approaches them, recovered a bit from their sudden appearance in her house.

As she sets her bag on the table between them, she notices the dark ring of bruises around Steve's throat. And even though she knows that the injuries are most likely little more than mild inconveniences to these two, the sight of them still makes her concerned. Honestly, she'd of thought that an injury on them would heal a lot quicker than a human's would, unless they were fighting the entirety they were gone and only just managed to get over themselves to come back.

“Great, fine, whatever. You two clearly have something weird going on between you, but hey I don't judge. And speaking of putting things in their place, why don't you get up off your lazy asses and put all my stuff back in its place, hm?”

Steve stands up and immediately begins cleaning, while Herobrine leans back in his chair and relaxes with his hands behind his head. Alex glares at him, but Herobrine only smiles triumphantly at her. How typical of him to throw all the work to someone else.

“You are just the worst kind of person, you know that?” She says, unpacking her bag for later organization. Once poor Steve's done cleaning their mess, she'll tidy things up the way she likes it.

“Thank you,” Herobrine says sincerely, putting a hand to his heart. “That means a lot to me.”

Alex shakes her head. “Are you at least going to behave?”

“Me? You should be telling Steve that, he's the one who crossed the line. Isn't that right Steve?”

They both turn to Steve, who stares back, unsure and hesitant, before nodding slowly. Alex returns her narrowed gaze to Herobrine. “Don't blame him because you can't take a joke.”

Herobrine pauses for a moment, eyes narrowed briefly before he smiles easily. “Oh I can take a joke. But Steve crossed a line. I just reminded him what happens when he does.”

“Whatever you say,” Alex says, rolling her eyes. She inspects her buy from the village, a few diamonds to repair her better armor, and a brand new diamond sword, enchanted with sharpness I and unbreaking I. Not the strongest enchants, but she can always upgrade them herself. Steve happens to walk by them at that moment, to put a potted fern on the windowsill by the furnaces, managing to be within arm reach which ends up bad for him. Herobrine grabs him before he can make it to safety, yanking him back and onto his lap.

“Why didn't you tell her?” Herobrine says maliciously, blocking Steve's fist when he tries to punch him and holding his arms at his side with an arm wrapped around his midsection. The other hand goes to his jaw and forces it up, showing Alec a clear view of the bruised skin around his throat. “Oh wait, he can't. Take a good look, because this is what happens when you cross the line. If you're lucky.”

The display fails to impress or threaten her, but it does disgust her. And even though it seems a lot like Steve's the victim, he must have known what was going to happen when he talked back. Surely, surely, after years of being forced in each other's company, Steve would know what will and will not set Herobrine's temper off. And if that's so, then how can she feel bad about the abuse when Steve practically asked for it?

Either way, right now she just wants her stuff back where it belongs, she wants the duo to leave her alone for five damn seconds, and she wants to lay down.

“Yeah, I'll be sure to keep that in mind,” she says, the side of her mouth quirking up when Steve catches Herobrine off guard and nails him right in the side of the face. The punch makes Herobrine drop his arm, allowing Steve to get up. He bends down to pick up the potted fern, and flips Herobrine off as he walks it over to the window. The demon rubs his jaw but smirks, relaxing back into his chair. Alex shakes her head as she leans her new sword against the wall by a couple of storage chests she's too lazy to go through.

She looks out the window, pursing her lips in indecision when she sees the position of the sun. Only about an hour left of daylight, and she still has to feed her animals.

She really doesn't want to, but like hell Herobrine will do it for her, and she doesn't want to use Steve's inability to say 'no' against him too much. So, she grabs a bag of seeds and some wheat, and a few carrots, before hauling it to the door. Almost as an afterthought, she turns around to address the angel and demon, both of whom are staring at her.

“I'm going to go feed my animals. And then I'm going to bed, because I've had a long day. That means that you two will be gone by the time I get back, got it?”

“Yeah whatever,” Herobrine says, yawning, while Steve nods. She offers him an apologetic smile, which he returns, before leaving.

Usually caring for her animals is calming, but she feels antsy and anxious the whole time, and she can't put a finger on why. The sun's almost about to set by the time she's done, and with the remaining but quickly waning daylight she walks towards the back of her house to water the flowers planted there. That's when she hears quiet conversation and ducks down below a window to listen in.

“Hold still, I'm trying to help. Do you want me to make it worse?”

“No.”

Alex cringes, because holy hell, Steve's voice sounds painful.

“Shut up you fucking idiot, or you'll make it worse. Do you like being in pain, geez.”

“Maybe I do.”

“Yeah I bet.”

It blows her mind that Steve even can speak. Obviously Herobrine had strangled the living daylights out of him, to the point where he either couldn't speak or had trouble doing so, but it sounds like he'd swallowed shards of glass.

“If you didn't intentionally provoke me, this wouldn't happen.”

“If you—” Steve's rebuttal is cut off when he starts coughing, and the sound is like a sword dragging on stone, setting her teeth on edge and making her shiver in discomfort.

“Yeah yeah, I know, alright? If only I could.”

She's lost now, unsure of what they're talking about, and when the silence stretches on longer than her curiosity can take, she peeks over the windowsill.

Her eyes widen at the sight of Herobrine and Steve sitting face to face, Steve tilting his head up so Herobrine can inspect his neck. Luckily Herobrine's back is to her, and with Steve's face towards the ceiling, she has a much smaller chance of being caught.

They don't speak anymore, and for the first time since meeting them Alex wonders if they can communicate telepathically. And if that is the case then what's even the point of talking out loud? So then maybe they can't?

Alex realizes that what she's doing is wrong, that this moment for the two...whatever they are to each other—Friends? Enemies? Brothers?—is incredibly intimate and, most of all, private, so despite her intense curiosity, she tears her gaze away and walks to the shed behind her house where she grabs a bucket. They can have their moment, she'll let them have it. But for the love of the Gods, they better be gone when she's done.

][][][

“Do you think Alex likes us?” Steve asks one day, the two of them sitting at the cliff of a ravine. Alex is at the bottom, collecting cobblestone and any coal or iron she can find. She doesn't know they're watching her.

Herobrine sighs and crosses his arms. “I think she likes you well enough.”

“I'm nice to her.”

Herobrine whips his head around to glare at his companion. “I can be nice!”

“I know that, but I'm the only one. You need to be nice more often.”

Herobrine groans in frustration and falls onto his back, staring up at the clouds passing slowly overhead. “But being nice all the time is so boring! I want to have fun.”

Steve smiles, watching Alex slip in a stream of water, her cursing audible from here. “Being nice is fun, you just have to give her time to get used to you, that's all. You need to show her the version of you that I know. She'll like that.”

Herobrine bangs his fist against the ground a few times in agitation. “But it's easy with you, we're technically the same person. And she's human.”

“Yeah, but she's different, isn't she?” Steve asks, leaning back on his hands. “Notch said so.”

Herobrine scoffs. “You believe everything he says, don't you?”

“Not everything, but who am I to question him? He created this world—he created us.”

“Then he should have done a better job on you,” Herobrine grumbles.

“We were one person at that time, or did you forget?” Steve laughs, leaning forward and supporting his head in his hands. Alex is still down there, mining away. He likes watching her do human things, like eating and mining and surviving—all the things he used to enjoy before he lost the need for them. Technically he doesn't even need to breathe, but the illusion of it comforts him. Herobrine had taken the transition from human to demon a lot better than Steve had adapted to being an angel, which he learned is really just a glorified term for messenger. Other than keeping their demon counterparts in check, angels aren't good for much else. At least, from Steve's experience they aren't.

“Of course not, don't be a fool. I just don't think about that time.”

Steve shakes his head at Herobrine's tough front, and smiles to himself as he watches Alex carve random shapes into the ground and walls.

“I do.”

He almost regrets saying it, because he can feel the demon's empty gaze on the back of his head, but he refuses to acknowledge him. Herobrine can think whatever he wants about their situation, whether it's torturous or heavenly, either way Steve likes it. Considering he doesn't remember much about being one soul, before he became Steve, his constant 'battle' with Herobrine is all he's ever known and despite the arguments and fights and pain, he doesn't like to think of it any other way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here's this ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

It's a rare day where Herobrine isn't being an insufferable prick, so Alex tolerates his presence, and Steve just enjoys having both his friends together without them arguing.

 

Alex had grown tired of mining and running back and forth from the village for supplies, so they make a trip to a large lake in the forest biome Alex lives in, their makeshift pool only a few dozen blocks behind her house.

 

The weird thing, Alex thinks, is that she can't remember the last time she went swimming for fun. Maybe as a child? Surely she had to have at some point, but lately the only swimming she's been doing is if she falls in rivers or cave pools, or if she needs to cross a small body of water.

 

She's kinda excited, something she hasn't felt in a long time for something so menial. Finding diamonds after a long day searching is exciting, sure, but hanging out with friends, having no obligations to mine or craft, it's an entirely different kind of fulfillment. And although Steve and Herobrine are weird to think about as friends, that's really what they are at this point for her.

 

Alex allows herself to smile, as she watches Steve and Herobrine walk in front of her. Even though Herobrine's the demon, Steve won't stop bugging and teasing him, which makes him snap at Steve. Despite what happened a few days ago when they fought(and made up, Alex assumes, when she'd wrongly eavesdropped on them), Herobrine remains in good spirits and allows Steve's antics to continue. It puts them all in a good mood.

 

Alex wants to spend a long time at the lake, because she's been busting her butt lately to finds materials for herself, so the day is still a little chilly, the sun only just peeking out above the horizon, but the warm wind promises a hot day later. All she wants today is to relax, and for everything to go smoothly.

 

Perhaps the weirdest thing, which Alex notices as she watches Steve pester Herobrine, is that she doesn't think she's ever seen either of them in such different attire. Obviously, jeans and boots aren't proactive when it comes to swimwear, but Alex had kind of thought they _couldn't_ change their clothes. Because if they could all this time, why do they both wear the same thing? A plain blue shirt, blue jeans, and gray boots. A good but admittedly boring look.

 

However, apparently they can wear whatever they want. They're still wearing their blue shirts, but Steve had showed up in dark blue shorts, while Herobrine had green ones. Steve had opted to go barefoot, while Herobrine sported a pair of plain sandals.

 

When she'd first met them, she'd gotten the impression that they didn't live together, that Steve was forced to watch over Herobrine lest he do something 'evil,' but the more she hangs out with them, the more she thinks they spend a lot more time together than their attitudes let on. They seem like genuine friends most of the time.

 

She's shaken out of her thoughts when she nearly bumps into Herobrine's back. She blinks rapidly and steps up beside him.

 

“Is this it?” Steve asks, and Alex nods.

 

“Yep.”

 

“Woohoo!” Steve yells, throwing his hands in the air and running a few steps to jump off the small hill they're on, which overlooks the lake. His light blue shirt flutters to the ground as he cannonballs into the water.

 

Alex and Herobrine turn to each other, Herobrine shrugging, before he removes his shirt and sandals and dives into the water as well. Alex feels heat that doesn't have anything to do with the steadily rising sun creep up her cheeks, but she ignores it as best she can. So what if there's two half naked guys a few blocks from her. She can handle it, she's cool, right? There's no reason to be flustered.

 

She keeps telling herself that as she picks up their haphazardly discarded shirts and the sandals and takes them to the spot she's going to be at. The hill they'd come from naturally curves down the perimeter of the lake into nice and flat land, the other side a sheer cliff. She takes from her bag a large wool cloth and lays it over the sand, then sets the boys' shirts on top of it. Then she slips off her shoes, her fingers curled around the hem of her shirt before she pauses.

 

Absentmindedly, she watches Steve and Herobrine. They've taken to splashing one another and trying to drown each other, and are paying no mind to her. Still, she hesitates.

 

This is to be expected, right? She has a bathing suit on, it's not like she's about to take her clothes off and be naked underneath like the boys. Maybe she's embarrassed because she doesn't know them that well? But no, that can't be right, she's always been comfortable in her own skin(plus there had been that one time when they'd teleported into her house and she'd been eating breakfast in her bra and underwear—don't judge her, she lives in the middle of nowhere). At that time she'd been more annoyed at their unexpected visit than them catching her without clothes on, so why is now any different? Mind made up, she takes off her shirt to reveal her red bikini top.

 

A whistle from the water has her whipping her head up. They've stopped playing and are watching her, Steve avoiding her eyes, his face a little red, and Herobrine smirking. He winks at her.

 

“Yeah, take it off!” He cheers, earning a splash from Steve. His laughter rings in her ears as her cheeks burn again, and she flips him off before taking her shorts off as well. She's not going to let him get to her today. His callous behavior is just an attempt to get a rise out of her anyway, and she won't be having any of it.

 

Letting herself relax around other people is a challenge, but as Herobrine would say, the two boys aren't exactly 'people.' They've been alive for so long and have seen so much, and surely they had to have seen a woman half naked before, right? So why stress about it?

 

Because this is all new for her. Alex frowns to herself, stepping ankle deep into the lake. She doesn't have friends, and now suddenly these two knuckleheads burst into her life, integrating themselves without much say from her, but she actually like them, which isn't too much of a surprise to her. It feels...right; she feels complete having them in her life.

 

Admitting that gives her the ability to let go of her inhibitions, of all her fears and worries and doubts. They're just friends chilling together, there's need for second thoughts.

 

Only about an hour passes before the warm rays of the sun fade away, leaving behind a chill. Confused and disappointed that the sun's gone already, Alex looks up.

 

She hadn't noticed clouds a few moments ago, but they now block out the sun. A cold wind makes her shiver every time she tries to leave the water.

 

Then, as she's drying her hair with the wool cloth she'd brought, she suddenly feels like she's being watched. A spike of fear runs down her spine.

 

When the sound of splashing stops, Alex looks to the water. Both boys are standing waist deep in the water, staring up at the sky with differentiating expressions of confusion and apprehension. Alex is about to ask what's wrong and if they feel like something's off when they both teleport out of the water and appear in front of her, just as something dark and huge lands in the water. The massive wave created splashes over them and soaks them and her things, but she can't find the time to care because there's a giant monster staring at them.

 

It's both hideous and elegant. The body is thin and lanky, like a skeleton's, or more like a wither skeleton, because the bone-like appendages are an inky black. There must have been clothes on it at some point, but all that remains are wispy tendrils of dark cloth that hang from the creature's body. The face is the most disturbing—a skull with white glowing eyes. From this distance it's hard to see, but dark liquid of some sort seems to be dripping from its mouth.

 

The standstill worries Alex, making her anxious. She looks between Steve and Herobrine and the thing, wondering if its appearance is a good thing or a bad thing. And by the way Steve is slightly holding his arm out, as if to shield her, and how Herobrine's slightly crouched as if ready to spring into action, she'd bet that no, this is a very bad thing.

 

However, it simply stares for now, and Alex can't take the silence any longer.

 

“What is it?” She whispers, never taking her eyes off the monster.

 

“I'm not sure,” Steve whispers back.

 

“Me neither,” Herobrine adds, “But it's no good.”

 

“Okay so you picked up on that too,” Alex says, almost as a means of distracting herself. Comedy in this dark situation will help her not lose to the fear trying to encase her heart.

 

“It's weird,” Steve says, nudging Herobrine a bit. “Do you feel it too?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Wait, what's wrong?” Alex asks. She finds herself lost when she hangs out with them.

 

“Normally, any one creature, be they mob or human, has one soul. But this thing...it has more than one. And not just two or three, but a lot,” Steve explains.

 

“It also doesn't feel human or like any mob I've encountered,” Herobrine adds.

 

“I can see why that's a bad thing, but just _how_ bad is it?” This is the opposite of Alex's element. She likes fighting opponents she's faced a thousand times before. Zombies are dumb and easy to trick, and most mobs can be defeated easily just by hiding around a corner. This monster—they don't even know what it is.

 

“Extremely bad...I think. It's not moving,” Herobrine says.

 

“What do you think it wants? Like, why's it here?” Steve asks.

 

“I have no fucking idea, I'm just as clueless as you!”

 

Still not having taken their eyes from it, all three are set on edge as it slowly lifts an arm to point their way. Alex's heart is trying it's best to beat out of her chest.

 

“Who's it pointing at?” She asks, earning a shrug from Herobrine.

 

“I don't know what you're talking about?” Steve says suddenly. It's so out of place and random that Alex finally looks away from the monster to stare in confusion at Steve. Herobrine too looks over at the angel, his eyes narrowed.

 

“I am telling the truth! I swear, he never said anything to me about that...Why would I lie about it?...You're talking crazy, he'd never do such a thing!”

 

The monster roars suddenly, nearly scaring her out of her skin. It falls onto all fours and growls menacingly.

 

With no explanation, Herobrine grabs her hand and says, “Brace yourself.”

 

“Wha—”

 

He sets their hands on Steve's shoulder, and instantly her mind is assaulted with sound and sensation. She squeezes her eyes shut on instinct and tightens her grip subconsciously on Steve's shoulder. She feels like she's just been thrown into an intense conversation.

 

“ _Begone demon, this concerns you not. It's the angel I wish to speak to.”_

 

“Well too fucking bad, maggot mouth. We're a packaged deal.”

 

Alex is surprised to hear the voice projecting from the creature is more feminine than anything else, though it speaks with more than one voice. Slowly she opens her eyes, first seeing Steve and Herobrine watching the creature. Its growl rings in her head, and it stomps its foot in anger. It reminds her of an angry cow.

 

“ _Insolent scum! You should be wiped from the face of this world.”_

 

“Was that supposed to be threatening?” Herobrine says, smirking.

 

“ _Enough of you! Angel, answer me!”_

 

“I told you already, I don't know what you're talking about! I haven't seen Notch or any of the Aether Gods for months!”

 

“ _Do not lie to me! That traitor wouldn't let his favorite out of his sight!”_

 

“Favorite?” Herobrine scoffs. “This thing is dumber than it looks. What the fuck makes you think Notch wants anything to do with us?”

 

It turns its gaze on Herobrine. _“Nobody wants anything to do with_ you. _”_

 

Steve sucks in a breath as Herobrine snarls at the monster. “What the fuck did you just say?”

 

Alex remembers how Steve provoked Herobrine into a fight, the monster's words an echo of Steve's. This must be why Steve seems that much more nervous, because he knows how easy it is to make Herobrine angry.

 

“It's alright,” Steve says, laying a hand on Herobrine's arm. “Ignore it.”

 

Herobrine shrugs Steve's hand off and turns to him, his and Alex's hands leaving Steve. The foreign presence of the creature leaves her mind, a relief at this point. “Easy for you to say!” Herobrine says, hostile.

 

“You can do it. I've always believed you have the capability to overcome your anger, you just need to believe in yourself.”

 

“I do believe...” Herobrine says, turning again to face the monster and crouching low. “I do believe I'm going to kick this thing's ass.”

 

“Wait—!” But Steve is too late to reach out to the demon, Herobrine bursting from his crouched position with enough force to ruffle Alex's hair.

 

What happens next, Alex isn't too sure of. She knows that they're fighting, but to her it just looks like a blur. An ashy haze surrounds them from Herobrine's teleportation. The creature's massive arms swings out in wide arcs but never connect, but then again neither does Herobrine. The monster always somehow knows just when and where to block.

 

Again reminded of a few days ago, she wonders if Herobrine and Steve's fight had been anything like this.

 

“We need to get you to safety,” Steve says, a frown heavy on his lips. He ushers Alex to her things. “Get your stuff, come on.”

 

“What's going to happen?” Alex asks as she throws on her shirt and pants, uncaring that she's going to have large water stains on them shortly. She stuffs everything else in her bag before slipping on her shoes.

 

“I'm not sure, but we can't let that thing get to you.”

 

“What? Why would it want me?”

 

Before answering, Herobrine lands between them, skidding to a stop at the base of a tree and flinging sand up into the air. Alex hides her face in her arm and turns away.

 

Groaning, Herobrine stands upright but stumbles forward, falling to a knee. Alex lurches forward on instinct, wanting to help support him, but he pushes himself upright, swaying to one side briefly before steadying.

 

“Are you okay?” She asks, concerned about the blood dripping from his mouth and nose.

 

“Are you kidding? I've never felt better!” He exclaims. He tenses, and Alex thinks he's insane if he's going to try again, but Steve cuts in before the demon can jump back into the fray.

 

“Wait, just listen for a moment. We need to get Alex away from here, it's not safe for her. I think this thing is a reaper.”

 

“I still don't understand why it would go after me. I—wait, you know what it is?”

 

“I think so. I've never seen one before but I've read about them. They form when an angel and demon pair try to fuse back into one. If the angel soul is too strong, a paladin forms, beings that would do anything to rid the world of evil. If the demon side is too strong, a reaper forms, beings who absorb the souls of others in an effort to feel human again. The more souls it consumes, the stronger it becomes.”

 

“Okay, yes I agree then, let's get the fuck out of here.” Alex says.

 

“You guys go, I'll distract it,” Herobrine says, cracking his knuckles.

 

Alex sees Steve bite hit lip, worry practically written across his face. “Okay, but be careful, we don't know what its—”

 

The reaper suddenly appears before them, hand already arcing down to grab Steve around the waist. It's hand is big enough to wrap completely around him, making him cry out in shock. Alex barely processes what's happening before suddenly they're gone.

 

“Steve!” Herobrine yells, and an odd feeling passes over Alex. Without knowing why, she lunges forward and grabs onto Herobrine just as he teleports away.

 

Sure she's wondered what teleportation feels like, but this is perhaps too much. It's like her body is being pulled apart, rearranged, then stuck back together again when she finally feels hard ground under her. She stumbles to her knees and breathes, hands resting flat against the ground as sensation slowly returns to her. It's cold. Her head hurts. Her clothes are uncomfortably wet. There's yelling. And when her ears stop ringing, she realizes that Herobrine's the one yelling—at her.

 

“Do you have a death wish! That was extremely dangerous, what is wrong with you!”

 

Sudden clarity, as Herobrine grips her arms and shakes her, growling in her face. “Have you lost your mind? What the fuck were you thinking you fucking idiot!”

 

“I—I don't...I wasn't.”

 

He snorts, pushing away from her. “Clearly. Fuck, you're here now...whatever, come on get up, I can't let you out of my sight.”

 

Slowly, her legs a little wobbly, she stands upright, cautiously watching Herobrine pace. She feels bad, putting him in this situation, because now he can't just take huge risks, the biggest his own life, to save Steve, he has to now watch out for her and protect her. But honestly, she has no idea what compelled her to grab him. It's all a little hazy...did she hit her head? She doesn't think so, but there is a notable gap in her memory, small as it may be, that concerns her. Something strange is going on here and she'd very much like to know what.

 

“What...what now?” She asks. She's new to all this; dangerous adventuring isn't really her thing.

 

“I try to suppress the urge to murder you for putting us in this situation,” Herobrine grumbles, crossing his arms.

 

“Oh ha ha, very funny. Is this really the time for jokes?”

 

“If you want me to keep my cool then yes it's the perfect time for jokes! Gods, humans can be so stupid.”

 

Alex knows that she shouldn't take offense to anything Herobrine says at this time, considering she's the one who made him this way, but he could try to focus on the goal here.

 

She takes a deep breath. “Alright. I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me.”

 

Herobrine sighs and rubs a hand down his face. “It's...fine. Whatever, I can handle it.”

 

A distant crash draws their attention. Alex realizes that there's only a single torch on the wall providing minimal light for her. “Where are we, by the way?”

 

“I'm...not really sure, actually.”

 

Another loud crash reminds Alex why they're even there in the first place. “Where do you think they are then? Can you find them?”

 

Herobrine walks up to a seemingly random wall and stares hard at it. Alex is almost about to ask if he's finally lost it when he interrupts her before she can. “He's this way.” He holds out his hand and Alex doesn't hesitate to grab it.

 

The second time is a little less jarring, because she knows what to except and her grip on Herobrine's hand really helps stabilize her. They appear this time in a dark hallway, no torches to light up the path now, but the sound of a scuffle echos down the hall, much louder and clearer.

 

Herobrine tugs her along, a faint glow she's never noticed before emitting from his eyes. They turn a corner, then another, and then suddenly the hall opens into a large room, their missing angel and the reaper in the midst of a fight.

 

...Or, they were, as made evident by the shattered pillars and broken stone littering the ground. The reaper has gotten the upper hand and is currently pinning Steve to the floor off to the side, it's hand trapping both Steve's arms to his sides. There's a strange, bluish glow emitting from under him, the floor alight by some strange power. The glowing lines all flow to the middle, where an empty, shallow hole resides, the perimeter made from glowstone.

 

“What is this room?” Alex whispers, because they're hiding in the shadows, even though she can feel the vibration from Herobrine's arm as he tenses, holding himself back from helping Steve for now.

 

“I don't know,” he whispers back, pulling her farther into the room, behind the reaper.

 

It roars in Steve's face, slamming it's empty fist to the ground, a spiderweb of cracks appearing on the stone. They must be talking, Alex assumes, maybe even about whatever the hell the reaper had been asking him before, at the lake.

 

“I sorry I can't help you,” Steve wheezes, face pinched from the undoubtedly tight grip the reaper has on his torso and arms. “I was never told about any of this.”

 

Alex finds it extremely frustrating to only have Steve's side of the conversation, because she feels like herself and Herobrine would be a lot better off if they knew exactly what was being said by the reaper. It doesn't help that Steve's being vague with his answers, though she supposes she can't fault him—if he knows they're here, and he probably does because him and Herobrine are just connected that way, he might not want to do anything to alert the reaper.

 

Herobrine pulls her behind a pillar, this one intact, and she hears _'Stay here'_ in her head, right before Herobrine lets go of her hand. Realizing he'd just spoken to her telepathically, she nods and watches him creep closer to where the reaper has Steve pinned, using the shadows from the pillars for cover.

 

The only sound in the room is Steve's labored breathing, and Alex frowns in concern, even though she _knows_ that he'll be fine. It still sounds like the reaper's grip is a lot stronger than it looks. From her position behind the pillar Herobrine had led her to, she can see the reaper's back, Steve completely blocked by its mass. But she knows the telltale signs of his teleportation when she sees it—a flash of light.

 

Just as Steve teleports away, Herobrine appears in his place, arm wound back for a punch. The reaper is too slow to react, taking the brunt of Herobrine's punch to its face. It flies back and hits the wall, tumbling through the old stone and landing on the other side.

 

Steve reappears next to Herobrine, an arm across his stomach. They don't say anything, instead stare cautiously(in Herobrine's case, furiously)into the darkness, waiting for the reaper to jump out at them.

 

Alex's heartbeat has just managed to return to normal when a dark blur passes by Alex, startling her. She turns away for a moment as debris follows, but at the sound of fighting she moves to the other side of the pillar to watch.

 

The way Steve and Herobrine work together is amazing. She wouldn't have thought them possible of it if she wasn't witnessing it for herself right now. They must be reading each other's minds, because each duck, each dodge and strike and attack is so well timed and thought out, even though they're moving incredibly fast. The reaper can't hit them, but they manage to land several hits on it.

 

Alex smiles, silently cheering for the boys. She's so excited, she never knew moves like these were possible. She should join them on their adventures more often.

 

Her smile drops when the reaper catches Herobrine's leg and uses his momentum against him, spinning in a circle to fling the demon at the angel, the two colliding midair and landing beside that strange indent in the floor, tangled together. The reaper then jumps at them, clawed hand reared back, and without thinking she yells, “Look out!”

 

But it's too late, and the reaper drives a claw through the both of them, pinning them to the ground.

 

Both shout in pain, Herobrine trying to push back against the reaper's strength so as to not crush Steve, who's under him from when they collided midair. He grits his teeth to suppress a groan of pain when the claw through his stomach moves the slightest bit, the reaper crouching low to watch their combined blood flow towards the glowstone.

 

“W-We ca—can't let it...don't l-let the b-blo-od...” Steve stutters, pain marring his features. Herobrine nods.

 

I k-kno—ow.”

 

Alex isn't so much hiding anymore as she's standing next to the pillar, hands cupped at her mouth as she stares wide-eyed at them. She can't even imagine the amount of pain they must be in. She can just barely see Herobrine's arm shaking.

 

Steve squeezes his eyes closed, trying to ignore the searing pain in his stomach. The reaper leans more towards the glowstone square, stretching the hole in his stomach and making him bite his lip lest he shout in pain. Herobrine doesn't appear any better a condition then himself, his teeth gnashed together as he tries to lessen the pain for them. But the reaper's strength in this position is too great.

 

“ _Finally.”_ He hears, and he tries to look behind him, but the angle's all wrong, and it hurts too much.

 

Once the blood hits the glowstone, it flows into small, carved out duvets, zigzagging and looping through the glowstone in parallel paths, and when the two trails of blood meet on the other side, a blue portal bursts into existence.

 

The reaper unceremoniously yanks its claw out of them, each crying out once more from the pain. Herobrine manages to push himself off Steve and onto his back next to the angel with the last of his strength, while Steve turns onto his side and curls his arms around his stomach.

 

Alex really wants to rush over to them, but she's scared of catching the reaper's attention. She's no good to them if that thing steals her soul, and she's already lucky that her shout earlier didn't draw it’s attention.

 

The reaper stands on its hind legs and roars at the ceiling, before landing heavily on all fours again. Alex stumbles as the ground shakes from the force of it.

 

Then, it jumps into the portal, disappearing from sight.

 

A beat, and then Alex is running towards them, sliding to a stop on her knees.

 

“Oh gods, oh gods, are you guys okay?” She hovers her hands over them, unsure if she should touch them, though she really wants to. She hadn't noticed because of the glowing floor and portal, but a soft light is emitting from the holes on their stomachs. It looks much like the glow from a potion of healing or regeneration.

 

“We'll b-be fine...in a bit,” Steve says, uncurling a little to give her a shaky smile. “Just give us a minute to regenerate.”

 

“I hate that fucking thing,” Herobrine comments, laying spread eagle. He turns his head to look at Steve. “We're going to kill it, right?”

 

Steve sighs. “I don't know, it's really strong. And I don't exactly know where that portal leads, so I don't just want to jump in blindly after it.”

 

Alex sits back on her heels, eyes drawn to the blue portal. It reminds her strongly of a nether portal, the way the blue swirls within the confides of the glowstone square. She feels compelled, almost, to bow to it, as crazy as that sounds. It makes her want to submit.

 

Herobrine sits up, drawing her attention. He lifts his shirt to reveal the skin of his stomach, a light brown scar the only remained of his injury. She blinks. That much time hasn't passed, has it? How did he heal so quickly?

 

“You done yet?” He says to Steve, who uncurls fully and sits up as well. He does as Herobrine had, an identical scar on his stomach. “As good as I'll get in such a short amount of time. But I don't know if I'm up for fighting again so soon, regenerating that fast took a lot out of me.”

 

Herobrine sighs. “Me too. Dammit!” He punches the ground.

 

Steve looks up at her. “Sorry for dragging you into this mess.”

 

Alex opens her mouth but is interrupted by Herobrine before she can utter a word. “Oh no no, you better tell him what you did, I don't need him thinking I brought you here on purpose.”

 

Alex blushes, still confused herself about why she jumped at Herobrine right before he teleported. “I uh...I kind of, sort of, maybe...grabbed onto Herobrine...just as he was teleporting?”

 

Steve furrows his brow, frowning. “Why?”

 

Alex shrugs.

 

Steve sighs and lays back down, rubbing at his stomach. He looks at the portal for a short while, then looks back up at Alex and Herobrine. “I think we should go home first. A few potions will finish off the rest of the healing on the way back here. And this time, you’re gonna have to stay home, Alex.”

 

She nods her head, knowing that it’s what’s safest for her, but she can’t help the sinking feeling in her gut, and that’s something she’s come to trust after a life of mining and caving. But even if she tells them to stay, there’s no way they’ll listen, not after losing to the reaper and definitely not after the discovery of this strange portal.

 

“I think that’s a good idea,” She agrees, reaching for them both. Herobrine helps Steve sit up, and then both of them take one of her hands. “I just hope everything turns out all right.”

 

“Don’t worry,” Herobrine says, giving her a cocky grin.

 

“It will,” Steve finishes with a small smile.

 

Alex grips their hands tighter and allows their power to bring her home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Or will it ;;;))))
> 
> I honestly don't know because I wrote this 2 years ago almost to the day and I don't remember :'(


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